Binder.



PATENTED OCT. 17,1905.

M. S. KUHNS. BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed May 18, 1903. Serial No. 157,580.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAURICE S. KUHNS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Binders, of which I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a binder embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the binder-plate with the shifter mechanism in closed position. Fig. 3 is an inverted end view with the shifter mechanism in closed position. Fig. 4 is a view in vertical section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

The present invention has relation to binders intended for holding together individual sheets, such as bills, invoices, order-blanks, &c.; and the invention relates more particularly to that type of binders in which the individual sheets are held upon one or more posts, from which they are prevented from slipping by means of a slotted plate that grips the post or posts at different points as the sheets accumulate within the binder. In the construction of this class of binder it has been heretofore proposed to mount upon the retaining-posts a slotted plate formed from spring metal and to provide a key whereby the opposing sections or jaws of the binderplate may be spread when this plate is to be raised from off the posts in order to place additional sheets thereon. An objection to this prior construction of binder is that the clamping of the plate is dependent upon the resiliency of the metal, so that it is necessary that a steel of particularly good quality shall be employed for the plate. Moreover, if the jaws or opposing portions of the plate be excessively spread by the key when releasing the plate from the posts, the jaws or opposing portions of the plate will not thereafter bind upon the posts tightly enough to securely retain the plate thereon. A still further objection to this form of construction of binder is that the key whereby the jaws or opposing portions of the spring-metal plate are released is disconnected from the plate, and hence is apt to be lost or mislaid, thereby causing annoyance and delay in the operation of the binder.

By my present invention the type of binder above described is improved, first, by providing the binder-plate with a shifter attached to the plate and having a lever extending to one side of the plate, whereby the shifter may be operated, and this feature of my inventon will be found advantageous whether the shifter be employed (as in the preferred form of the invention) for moving the jaws of the plate in both directions or whether it be employed for moving the jaws or opposing portions of the binder-plate in one direction only.

A further object of my invention as embodied in the preferred construction hereinafter described is to provide the binderplate with a shifter whereby the jaws of the plate may be positively clamped against the binder-posts, thereby insuring the firm grip of the binder-plate upon the posts independently of the resiliency of the metal whereof the plate is formed. This last-mentioned feature is particularly advantageous also in that it enables the binder-plate to be formed from a cheaper grade of metal than is required where the binding of the plate (as in the construction hereinbefore described) is dependent upon the elasticity of the metal.

A designates the binder-plate, and B denotes the posts on which the binder-plate A is mounted. As shown, the lower ends of the posts B are rigidly secured to a bar 0, that is covered with canvas d, which covers the board D, that forms one of the covers of the binder. A similar board D is connected by a flexible joint d to a bar or section D and the bar I) is perforated to admit the posts B. The binder-plate A in the form of the invention illustrated is secured to the bar D as by rivets, at the ends of the plate.

. The binder-plate A is formed with a long slot a extending approximately from end to end thereof and terminating in the expanded openings 0. and this bar is preferably formed also with one or more holes or seats a adapted to receive the posts B. Any desired number of holes a and posts may be employed, one post only being essential, but two being preferably used, as shown. Preferably the holes or seats a are of a diameter equal-to the diameter of the posts B, although this is not essential in the preferred form of the in vention, as the clamping of the opposing portions or jaws of the plate A upon the posts B is positively effected by the shifter mechan ism next to be described.

In one of the portions or jaws of the plate A is pivotally mounted the stud 6, having formed thereon or fixed thereto an eccentric E, that extends beneath the plate A, and to this eccentric is connected an operating lever or handle F, whereby the eccentric E will be turned. Upon the eccentric E, and preferably above the inner end of the handle or lever F, is loosely mounted a link G, the opposite end of which link is connected by a pin 9 to the inner portion of the plate A. As shown, a space d is formed in the upper face of the bar D to receive the link, the eccentric, and the lever. By thus arranging the operatinglever F, so that when in closed position it will be within the space 01 beneath the plate A, the lever will be not of the way and will not interfere with the easy manipu lation of the binder nor be in position to scratch or mar any surface whereon the binder may be placed. The plate A has its rear edge formed with a notch a, into which the upturned end of the lever F will pass when the lever is in closed position.

When the parts of the shifter mechanism are in the position shown by Fig. 1 of the drawings, they exert no strain upon the portions of the plate A, and if the holes a of the plate A be formed of the same diameter as the posts B or if the plate be not of spring metal the plate and the cover D can be slipped freely upon the posts and removed therefrom to permit the loose sheets K to be placed upon or removed from the posts. By turning the operatinglever F to the closed position (shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings) the eccentric E will cause the link G to draw the opposing portions or jaws of the plate A toward each other, thereby binding the plate upon the posts B, so that all danger of the slipping of the binder-plate from the posts is prevented. It will be observed that when the operatinglever F is turned to the closed position (shown in Fig. 2) the link G will be upon a dead-center, and hence there will be no tendency to throw the operatinglever from its closed position. This feature of employing a shifter that shall positively clamp the sections of the binder-plate upon the posts will be found to be advantageous whether the plate A be formed of spring metal or not,

& since even if the plate be of spring metal the positive clamping of the plate-sections upon the posts will serve to much more securely retain the plate in position thereon than is possible where the resiliency of the metal is relied upon solely for such purpose. Thus it will be seen from Fig. 2 of the drawings that when the lever F is turned to closed position it will slightly bow inward the-central portions of the plate A.

By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings it will be seen that when the operating-lever is turned outwardly and backwardly in the direction of the arrow to the position shown in dotted lines the eccentric E and link G will serve to force apart the opposing portions of the plate A, and consequently will prevent all binding of the plate-sections on the posts, so that the plate A can be freely slipped from off the posts. This feature of providing the binder-plate with a shifter fixed thereto and provided with an operating-lever extending at one side of the plate, whereby the jaws or opposing portions of the plate may be spread apart, will be found advantageous even if the plate be formed of spring metal and even if no provision be made for positively clamping the jaws or opposing portions of the plate upon the posts. In the preferred form of the invention, however, and for the reason hereinbefore stated it is deemed desirable to employ the invention as an entirety, so that the positive clamping of the sections of the binder-plate upon the posts may be effected and so that the jaws or opposing portions of the plate may be spread apart.

It is manifest that the precise details of construction above set out may be varied within wide limits without departing from the spirit of the invention and that features of the invention may be employed without its adoption as an entirety.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A binder comprising a slotted binderplate, one or more posts whereon said plate is mounted, said plate being provided with a hole or holes for said post or posts and means for varying the size of said hole or holes comprising a shifter having an eccentric pivotally fixed to one portion of said plate and connected with the opposing portion of said plate and a lever for shifting said eccentric.

2. A binder comprising a slotted binderplate, one or more posts whereon said plate is mounted, said plate being provided with a hole or holes for said post or posts and means for varying the size of said hole or holes comprising a shifter having an eccentric pivotally fixed to one portion of said plate, a link mounted upon said eccentric and connected to the opposing portion of said plate and a handle for shifting said eccentric.

3. A binder comprising one or more posts, a slotted binder-plate mounted thereon and means for clamping the opposing portions of said plate upon said post or posts comprising a shifter having an eccentric mounted upon one portion of said plate, a link fitted over said eccentric and connected with the opposite portion of said plate and a lever fixed to said eccentric and whereby it may be turned.

4. A binder comprising one or more posts, nected to said eccentric and whereby the opa slotted plate mounted upon said post or posing portions of said plate may be spread 10 posts and means for clamping the opposing or drawn toward each other.

portions of said plate upon said posts com- 5 prising an eccentric mounted upon one p0r MAURICE KUHNS' tion of said plate, a link fitted on said eccen- Witnesses: F trio and connected to the opposing portion ALBERTA ADAMICK,

of said plate and an operatmg-lever con- LILLIAN PRENTIOE. 

